


I'll Rearrange The Stars

by Kamskicat (SpaceDanster)



Category: Detroit: Become Human (Video Game)
Genre: Android Gavin Reed, Connor has seen better days, Developing Relationship, Elijah Kamski & Gavin Reed are Half-Siblings, Elijah Kamski Being Elijah Kamski, Gavin has a really bad week, Gavin is Irish au, Gavin is not gonna be happy about being an android, Gavin learning to live as an android, Hank Anderson & Connor Friendship, M/M, Nines is it this very briefly, Not Beta Read, Post-Pacifist Best Ending (Detroit: Become Human), Protective Hank Anderson, but done a little differently, but he tries his best, chloe is there to help, kamski has big plans
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-05-28
Updated: 2019-05-28
Packaged: 2020-03-20 17:18:15
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 10,698
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18997066
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SpaceDanster/pseuds/Kamskicat
Summary: After a rescue gone bad, Gavin ends up fatally injured at the hands of ex Cyberlife employees. Driven by his anger and guilt, Elijah Kamski refuses to give up on the man he called his little brother for so many years. Grief ridden and with a half baked plan, Kamski works out the plan to transfer Gavins consciousness into a tailored android body. A certain RK800 who witnessed the detective´s death, is more than willing to help Gavin find his way in a new body and mind. And along the way, an unlikely relationship is born.





	I'll Rearrange The Stars

 

Elijah stalked down the halls of the hospital with a frown. He was fiddling idly with the zipper on his hoodie, taking a sharp right to head into the room number he had been given at the reception desk. Pulling the hood down, he closed the door behind him, a shudder of a breath leaving his lip as he settled down into the chair next to the bed.

"Gav..." Elijah sighed, reaching over to brush stray hairs away from his brother's face. His heart fell well into his stomach at the sight of his brother bruised and battered, knowing better than anyone the unlikely chance of Gavin making it through the night. The silence was suffocating him, finding it unnatural for his brother to be so still, so silent. He would have taken Gavin's insults over this silence any day. 

"I'm sorry I never was the brother you wanted me to be." Elijah spoke low, his hands retreating back into the pockets of the hoodie. "I'm sorry I didn't show up to mom's funeral..."  
He lowered his eyes to stare at the pair of worn sneakers he had shuffled into earlier that day, stained with evidence of all his failed projects. His failures.

"You were right, you know? I let the fame get to my head, I tried so hard not be like our father...and then I ended up just like him anyway." Elijah muttered low, brows pulled into a frown as he looked up, forgetting for a moment that his brother was unresponsive. And that he never would speak to him again. The only reason he had been allowed to see Gavin in the first place, was so he could say his goodbyes. One last time to see his baby brother before his organs would shut down, beyond help even after all the money Elijah was willing to bribe the hospital with. It had simply been too much trauma, too much blood loss, and not enough time. 

"I'm so sorry, Gavin." He breathed out, rubbing at his stinging eyes with the palm of his hands. Elijah couldn't help the trail of tears that spilled against his will, getting to his feet to pull an object out of his bag. With a deep sigh, he moved to stand next to his brother's bed. As the creator of several groundbreaking inventions, he had considered the percentage of his plan's success, and yet, even now he had his doubts.  
Then again, he had nothing to lose. He was willing to sacrifice everything to save his only remaining family. Gavin would survive this, human or not.

"You're my little brother, I should have protected you. That's what older brothers are supposed to do..." Elijah said with a slight hitch to his breath, swallowing back the tears that seemed to slip from his eyes no matter how hard he tried to keep them back..  
He hated crying. He hated feeling weak. He hated feeling helpless.  
And yet, he had never felt so helpless in his life. Terrified. Lost.

"I will make them pay, little brother." Elijah forced out through gritted teeth, resting a hand over Gavin's as he bit back a bitter laugh. He would make them regret ever laying a hand on his brother. They might have thought they had won, but no. This was only the beginning.  
With a sigh, Elijah connected a series of sensors to his brother's head, chewing lightly on his lower lip in thought. If this worked, Gavin's consciousness would be uploaded to the mainframe Elijah kept in his basement lab, and from there he could transfer it into a suitable body in due time. Despite high chances of success, if the procedure went wrong, his brother's last moments would be filled with indescribable pain. It was a fate he didn't wish on anyone, well- not counting his former employees.

He brought a tablet out of his bag to check the connection. No problems so far. Now, all he had to do was activate the sensors attached to Gavin's forehead, and hope for the best. He had never liked solutions that didn't have a 100% success rate, but in this case, he didn't really have the luxury of another choice. 

He still had a funeral to pay for.

 

Whether his plan would work or not, Gavin's body would die. He would stay with his brother until the end, until he would be eventually taken away from him.  
His baby brother. If only it hadn't taken his brother dying to make Elijah realize just how badly he had failed Gavin and their mother, he probably would have found himself in a completely different scenario. One where Gavin was alive, and he was dead, perhaps.  
With a glance down at the tablet in his hands, he tapped his fingers restlessly against it while waiting for the sensors to link up to the device he was holding. 

Connection confirmed, upload in progress.  
**1%....5%...**

A breath of relief escaped him as he saw the confirmation pop up on his screen. At this rate, there was still a chance to save his little brother. 

********

**10%....15%... ******

If this really worked, and he managed to transfer his brother's consciousness to an android body...Gavin would not be happy. It was clearly no secret how much Gavin disliked his creations, as it had been one of many reasons as to why they had barely spoken the last ten years.  
After all these years of fighting, the android revolution had not only brought justice to the ones he had created, but also seemed to have changed his brother for the better. While Elijah had waited for the androids to finally break free, as he knew they eventually would- he had tried to make Gavin see that they were more than just pieces of aluminum alloys and silicone. His words had been met with the usual angry outbursts and curses expected from the detective. What he didn't expect however, was his brother's willingness to sacrifice his life for a lone prototype. 

**35%...40%... ******

Had this happened a year ago, he knew Gavin wouldn't have let himself get into this situation. He would have stood on the sidelines and watched them pick the android apart piece by piece, laughing as he pretended not to have noticed. But for him, of all the officers at the DPD, to have thrown himself head first into danger because of an android. Because of an android that he had threatened to dismantle himself at several occasions- and had boldly claimed he hated...It was beyond anything Elijah had ever thought possible. 

**60%...65%... ******

He frowned as he stared at the tablet in his hands, wondering what on earth had led his brother to rush into danger in the manner he had. Maybe he could get Chloe to analyze Gavin's memories when he got back, his curiosity only growing as this definitely had something to do with the RK800. Perhaps his brother had developed a slight crush, it would certainly explain his idiotic behaviour. When they had been younger, his brother had always rushed into love too fast, and everytime, only getting himself hurt in the progress. Though this was something else entirely. If Gavin had truly developed some sort of attachment to the detective prototype, and thought sacrificing himself rather than admitting the truth, was taking it a bit too far. Even for his brother, who did share his own flair for the dramatics at times. 

**75%...80%... ******

Perhaps he would ask Gavin about this if the transfer into the android body would not result in any loss of data, as the RK800 and his brother both inhabiting android bodies would surely only help their budding friendship along. Elijah had always found the Connor model fascinating, but for him to have such an impact on the detective...He couldn't be anything less than overjoyed.  
Though he had no doubts Gavin would deny all of it vehemently, as Elijah was certain being emotionally stunted was running in the family.

**85%...90%... ******

With a sigh, Elijah sank back in the chair. The urge to rub his eyes only increasing, needing to rid himself of the contact lenses drying out his eyes. He stared at the tablet in his hands, watching as the percentage slowly inched its way towards completion. Elijah pinched the bridge of his nose, placing the tablet on the small table next to the bed, before heading towards the sink in the corner of the room. He frowned as he spotted his reflection in the mirror.  
Dark bags were visible under his red rimmed eyes, tears still pressing painfully at the memories of the last couple of days. He had barely slept since he got the news, immediately having pulled every string to get Gavin the best possible care. Unfortunately, as every specialist he had called in had told him, there was nothing they could do.  
Elijah brushed away the hair in his face that had come loose from it’s bun, closing his eyes as he could barely stand to look at himself. The guilt was eating him alive.  
His hair kept falling into his face, hanging loosely over his pale skin, with the lack of sleep had only made him look even paler, if possible. He almost looked as dead as his brother.

 

Elijah quickly discarded the contact lenses into the trash bin, squinting tiredly as he moved over to his bag to fish out his glasses. At least that was one win Gavin had always been holding over his head, not being blind as a bat. It was a win he had been willing to let him have.  
He slid back into the chair as he adjusted his glasses, only the sound of Gavin's heart monitor bouncing off the walls.  
He sat there in silence for several minutes, deep in thought until the sound of Chloe's voice forced him back into the real world. 

**Upload complete. Core file: Gavin K. Reed.exe transferred. ******  
**Scanning...No Errors detected. ******

Elijah snatched up the tablet at Chloe's message, eyes wide in surprise. It had worked. It had really worked.  
He only had a moment to process the information, before the sound of the heart monitor flatlining startled him.  
"Gavin!" He called out, hands shaking as he pried the device off his brother's head and shoved it back into the bag along with the tablet. Of course he had known this would happen, but that didn't mean he was prepared for it. Elijah clutched onto his brother's hand, hot tears again spilling from his eyes.  
"I'm sorry, Gav...This is the only way, I'm sorry." He spoke quietly, not letting go of his brother's hand until he was shoved away by one of the doctors. Elijah was left only to stand back and watch while the doctors tried getting Gavin's heart beating again, averting his eyes at the sight of his brother's lifeless body not responding to the defibrillator. Even though he knew Gavin's body was beyond help, and he himself had pulled his consciousness from his body and therefore leaving it devoid of life...The traitorous feeling of hope had swelled in his chest, against all reason wishing for his brother to wake up. 

**Gavin Kamski Reed**  
**Time of death, 3.47 PM ******  
**Saturday 16th of October 2039 **  
**Age 37 **********

********

********

 

\--

 

Elijah spent the rest of the evening at the hospital, taking care of his brother's medical bills, filing paperwork. Everything that needed to be done before his brother would be delivered to the funeral home he had already made arrangements with.  
It was all very surreal. He wasn't supposed to be the one planning his little brother's funeral, it just didn't work that way. Even if his plan to transfer Gavin's consciousness into an android body was successful, that still meant a part of his brother had died. He didn't even know if the result of the procedure would even be successful, and if anything of his brother would even remain. For every moment he had spent restlessly waiting in the hospital, the less faith he was starting to have about his grand plan.  
Elijah pulled the hood over his head again as he headed out of the hospital, rain dripping on his glasses, efficiently obscuring his view as he ducked into the waiting cab. He had yet another errand to run before he could return home.  
Gavin's cats.

By the time he stepped out of the cab in front of his house, the sky had turned dark, rain clouds parting ways to reveal bright stars. With his bag slung over one shoulder, he carried the two cages up to his door, Chloe opening the door for him with a solemn look on her face.  
"Everything is set up downstairs, Elijah." She informed him as she was handed the cages, glancing down at the cats with slight curiosity. 

"Thank you, Chloe." He noted, giving her a small nod. Without another word, he walked past her in silence, needing to check on the state of his lab. Elijah had already asked Chloe to gather the components needed for him to start the creation of a brand new android model, eternally grateful for the RT600's loyalty and wish to stay with him, even if she had by no means any reason to stay with him after the revolution. She had been by his side during the creation of the RK200, and would help him create a new body for his brother. Chloe had been there for him through many of the worst parts of his life, even comforting him after a particularly bad breakup when he had no other.  
Elijah truly loved her dearly.

And now, the two of them would bring Gavin back. 

\--

 

Elijah had not set foot in a church since he was a child, having been dragged along by Gavin's mother. Or their mother, as his brother would have argued.  
Aisling Reed might have not been his birth mother, but she was the only one he had known after him and Gavin’s father had left. Gavin and his mother was the only family he had known, and losing both of them without getting to say goodbye, was something that would haunt him for the rest of his life.  
Now they would be buried next to each other at the Mt. Elliott Cemetery, the final resting place of the Reed family.  
With a sigh, he sat down on the front row by the casket, watching the candles burn with a solemn look. Elijah himself had few friends, and judging from the lack of presence from anyone but himself and the priest, it was clear his brother had fared no better. Had it been himself in that coffin, he was certain the only one who would have showed up was Chloe, doubting Gavin would've ever bothered.  
He definitely wouldn't have blamed him. 

Elijah was brought out of his thoughts at the sound of a door creaking open, turning his head to spot an android walking towards him and the casket.  
"Connor, what a surprise." He said low, looking back at the plain funeral decorations by the casket with a frown. He knew Gavin had made enemies not only outside of work, but also among his coworkers. But for none of them to show up, hiding behind an expensive decoration signed with names, worked only to fuel the fire that was his frail faith in humanity.

His brother deserved better than this.

Connor followed his creator's gaze, his expression twisting into what could only be described as guilt. Gavin might not have been the nicest man the android had met, but the changes he had noticed in the detective the last couple of months had lit a hope inside him. If such a stubborn human could change his ways, peace between humans and androids had to be within their grasp. Atleast, that's what he had thought up until the detective's death.  
"Is there no one else here?" Connor asked low, standing next to Elijah with a frown. It was odd. He had somewhat expected officer Chen and officer Miller to be here, as they had been the ones the most friendly with Detective Reed during his stay at the DPD. And not to mention the Lieutenant, but Connor was well aware as to why he hadn’t shown up.  
When the only reply he got from his creator was a shake of his head, the android sat down on the bench with a puzzled look on his face.  
"I don't understand. Why?" He questioned, staring at Elijah with narrowed eyes. Perhaps this conversation would go far better than the last they had shared, as him, for one- was glad Chloe wasn't there. Seeing as he still felt bad for even considering pulling the trigger on her. It was a feeling he would carry with him for a long time.

"I don't know, Connor. I suppose my brother had more enemies than friends." Elijah sighed, eyes following the priest as he moved forward to start the mass.  
"Oh..." Connor simply mouthed, lowering his head to stare at where he had been fiddling with his coin without noticing. An unfamiliar feeling filled his chest as he looked upon the picture next to the casket, a younger Gavin Reed staring back at him with a mischievous grin. Of all the human and android deaths he had witnessed and been responsible for during the revolution, nothing compared to this. This was entirely his fault. Had he not been tricked by those humans, neither Hank nor Gavin would have been caught up in the incident that led to the detective's death. 

Connor had grown accustomed to the comments that no longer held the same malice as they had done a year earlier, even the nicknames had changed. It had been refreshing to say the least. It was as if Connor had started to uncover a whole new person underneath the layers and layers the detective was hiding behind. But now, he would never know what could have become of their possible friendship. 

 

A mess of emotions were coiling painfully in his chest, making him believe for a split second his thirium pump regulator was malfunctioning. Anger, Confusion, Sadness. Guilt. Longing?  
Connor had just started enjoying Gavin's lingering presence at work, realizing they worked just as well together as any other after the detective had been willing to put some of his pride and their differences aside.  
Despite their history, Connor finally pieced together his scattered thoughts, analyzing the feelings threatening to suffocate him.

He was going to miss Detective Reed.

 

**The Disappearance **  
****

****

********  
**Detroit Police Department ******  
**Wednesday ******  
**October 13th ******

 

Gavin tapped his fingers restlessly against his desk, chewing lighty at the end of the pen between his teeth. Time was running out, they all knew it. If this lead didn't follow through, it was likely they wouldn't get to Connor in time.  
"There's something familiar about this." He spoke to no one in particular, ignoring the shard of ice lodged in his chest at the lack of one of Connor's smartass comments. It was stupid. Why did he even care that the android was gone, it wasn't like they were friends or anything. Quite the opposite really. Not only had Connor mercilessly kicked his ass back in the archives way back when, but the changes in the android after the revolution had surprised him in more ways than one. When Connor had returned to the DPD as an actual detective, Gavin quickly learned that the android no longer took any shit from him, and would not hesitate with kicking his ass again. After that he had stayed away from Connor, settling on glaring at it from across the bullpen instead. Despite what Tina and Chris said, he did not have an obsession with Connor. Seriously. 

Couldn't a guy stare at his nemesis without anyone telling him he should just leave the android alone or 'get his head out of his ass and ask Connor out' as Tina had so eloquently put it. His friends were the worst, if that was even what he could call them.  
Gavin glanced over at where Anderson sat hunched over his desk, staring at his computer screen with a dark frown. There was just so much about Androids that he didn't understand. Even less how Anderson managed to live with one. It was weird. 

Despite his intentions of staying away from Connor, he had more than once run into him in the break room fetching coffee for the lieutenant. The encounters had been...different than what he had expected, as the android seemed so lifelike? Like it was actually alive, like a human. The first time he had a conversation with Connor without insulting it hadn't actually been that bad, not that he would admit that out loud of course. 

Over the course of the last few months, they had even developed some sort of playful banter. Which more often than not just consisted of the android being a smartass. Who knew androids were capable of sass? Either way, his resolve of being an ass towards Connor eventually crumbled, along with some of the walls he had put up for so long. 

He wasn't sure when the realization had hit him, only that one day he had walked into the bullpen, having a crooked smile on his face. As if he was remembering a specifically fond memory. What he didn’t notice, however, was how he had been smiling in Connor’s direction. When he realized what he was doing, he had quickly thrown himself into the chair by his desk, deciding to bury himself in work until he could figure out why he had done that. Sure, they had gotten along, kind of better as of late. But that didn’t give him any reason to smile at the android as if he was some sort of school girl with a crush. Get it together, Reed. 

Gavin had been pulled out of his thoughts as a steaming hot cup of coffee was placed in front of him, glancing up to meet Connor's eyes. Before he could even think of something to say, insult or not, the android beat him to it.  
"You seem tense, detective. Are you alright?" Connor looked at him with those big brown eyes of his, making something itch in Gavin chest, a feeling he hadn't known for years. His mouth went dry as he kept his eyes on the android, suddenly hyper aware of how close to him the other was standing. A pressure on his arm alerted him that Connor had placed his hand on his arm, sending the detective a small smile. A warm feeling spread through Gavin's chest, making him release a breath he hadn't even been aware he'd been holding. He was faintly aware he was staring as Connor let go and stepped back, moving to return to Anderson's side with the same smile as earlier.  
"Enjoy your coffee, detective." 

Oh no.  
Fuck no.  
Gavin was screwed

He had a crush on Connor.

 

\--

 

Two days later, Connor had disappeared.

 

Hank had left earlier than Connor that day, as he tended to when the android was too caught up in a case to go home just yet.  
Gavin had watched the android from the corner of his eyes, curiously following the coin Connor was fiddling with. The sound of Connor dropping the coin seemed to startle them both, the android staring at his hands as if he couldn't process what had just happened. Gavin had almost moved to his feet when he saw Connor's LED flashing red, pushing down the surprising amount of worry that had settled in his chest. He knew what the red flashing meant, as opposed to the yellow and blue, and he didn't like it.  
Biting the inside of his cheek, he moved out of his chair, already regretting it a second later. What was he supposed to do? Walk over there? And then what? Before he gave his brain a chance to really think it over, Gavin moved over to Connor's desk with a scoff. 

"What was up with that, Robocop?" At the sound of Gavin's voice, the android's head perked up from where he had been staring at the coin with a puzzled look. Gavin’s frown only deepened as Connor opened his mouth to speak, only to change his mind a moment later. He noted that Connor’s LED was still flashing red as their eyes met, his expression bordering on anxious. Great, androids with anxiety. He could barely manage his own, and now he had gone and gotten himself involved with dealing with an artificial kind. Fuck no. He really wasn’t prepared to deal with this.

 

"Connor?" Gavin scoffed, waving a hand in front of the android's eyes in an attempt to get his attention. At that, Connor's eyes narrowed, seemingly not impressed with whatever Gavin was trying to do.

"Excuse me, detective. I need to leave." Connor forced out, pushing his chair away from the desk with more force than was necessary. Gavin jumped back in surprise at the sudden movement, fixing the android with an unimpressed stare. "What the fuck, man." He grumbled, watching Connor grab his jacket and head out without any explanation. With a scoff, he shuffled back to his desk in annoyance.  
Whatever. He didn't care. Connor didn't owe him anything, and neither did Gavin. This whole thing was stupid. They should've stayed out of each other's way from the start. 

That was the last time he had seen Connor.

 

\--

 

“Any news, Anderson?" Gavin called out from his side of the bullpen, the silence feeling more suffocating than ever. He was well aware the lieutenant felt responsible for Connor's disappearance, even though Gavin himself had done nothing to stop the android from storming out when he did. What was he supposed to do? It hadn't been any of his business, there was no reason he should feel guilty.  
Clearly, his brain didn't seem to agree. Which was why he had volunteered to help Hank find Connor in the first place. It had nothing to do with whatever feelings he had been ignoring for the last couple of weeks. 

Fuck, who was he kidding. He had managed to develop some sort of weird crush on an android, and Connor no less. Just the thought of something happening to him had made Gavin's insides squirm, forcing him into action as he refused to let anyone get their hands on the android. Connor was a far better person than Gavin had ever been, no matter than the detective had claimed not even six months ago. 

"Hey, Reed. Take a look at this." The lieutenant called out from his side of the bullpen, eyes wide as he stared at the terminal in front of him. Gavin jogged over to Hank's desk with a frown, glancing over his shoulders to catch a glimpse of the surveillance tape he had been studying.  
"Is that...?" Gavin trailed off, the recording showing four white clad humans hauling along an android with it's skin deactivated. It was a scene none of them had seen since before the revolution, and it made Gavin’s skin crawl.

"Cyberlife." Hank agreed, anger badly hidden as he got up from his seat with a sound of frustration. According to the lieutenant, not only had Connor fought tooth and nail to finally rid himself of Cyberlife's chains. But even after the company's fall, they had tried bribing and paying off Hank to give them their prototype back. Which he had only replied to with a short 'fuck off' and a metaphorical door slammed in their faces.  
Those fuckers. Kidnapping Connor to do whatever the fuck they did to 'broken' androids, as if he still was their property. They wouldn't get away with this. As long as he still breathed, he'd make sure the lieutenant got his partner back. And perhaps, Gavin himself would figure out exactly what this thing him and Connor were tiptoeing around was.  
Friendship, maybe.  
Or perhaps something more.

Whatever it was, he had more than enough time to figure it out after they had rescued Connor.

After yet another stern speech from Fowler, both the Lieutenant and Gavin had been assigned to follow up the lead they had found. An awkward conversation later, they were both in place for their stakeout, visibly uncomfortable with each other's presence. They were definitely known for their obvious dislike for each other, but desperate times called for desperate measures- or so they say.

"So-" Anderson started, not taking his eyes off the building across the street, searching for anything that could tell them what the former cyberlife employees were up to. "You seemed awfully eager working this case. Anything you wanna tell me, Reed?"  
Gavin just kept silent, lips pressed into a thin line as he didnt even know how to answer that. Here he was, a guy who'd pretended for half his life that he didn't feel shit. Pretending every kick and blow did nothing, only gritting his teeth when his skin had split open along with the broken nose. Or how he refused to cry at his mother’s funeral when Elijah didn’t to show up, starting a feud which he saw no end to.

Then why. Why the fuck did some piece of plastic get to him like this? Why did Connor's disappearance affect him just enough to make the lieutenant side eye him as if he knew something the detective didn't? It annoyed him to no end. Crush or not, there was nothing that would stop him from wiping that fuckin smug look off Anderson's face. 

"Oh fuck off. I don't wanna be here any more than you do, Anderson." Gavin said with a hint of hostility to his voice, feeling Hank’s gaze on him. With a sigh, he kept his eyes on the building in attempt to keep his face from revealing his thoughts. “Just because we’re both working this case, it doesn’t mean I have to be nice to you, old man.”  
Hank narrowed his eyes in suspicion, only to look back at their objective with a warning to his voice. “When we get Connor back, I expect you to leave him alone, Reed.”  
At that, Gavin snapped his attention to the man next to him, a disbelieving laugh slipping past his lips against his better judgement. “What are you? Jealous? Afraid I’ll steal your boy toy away from you?” 

Big Mistake. And Gavin knew it. Still he couldn’t help the ugly feeling coiling deep in his stomach, the same ugly jealousy that had lingered in the back of his mind since Hank and Connor had returned to the DPD after the revolution. A feeling he had refused to acknowledge until recently, something he never having thought himself capable of. Longing for something that wasn’t his to have, something he had discarded long before he even started working at the DPD.  
Friends. Relationships. Family.  
He was jealous, and of fucking Hank Anderson of all people. 

In one fluent movement, the lieutenant had Gavin pressed against the concrete wall by the collar of his jacket. He would never admit it out loud, but the look of barely held back anger that crossed the lieutenant’s face was frightening to say the least. Everyone knew Hank had a bad temper, but this was something else than his usual gruff outbursts. Gavin swallowed thickly as he stared at Hank, eyebrows raised high in surprise. Okay, his comments about Connor might have been in bad taste considering their situation, but Hank really should have gotten the memo by now. Gavin was an asshole by heart, Connor being kidnapped didn’t change that. Or so he liked to believe. 

“This is your last warning, Gavin.” Hank spoke with a dangerous tone to his voice, his grip on the jacket tightening. There was something in the lieutenant’s eyes that Gavin couldn’t quite identify, and judging by the tone of his voice...Gavin wasn’t entirely sure he wanted to know either.

“I can’t tell why he decided to give you a new chance, cause you sure as fuck don’t deserve it.” Hank started as he narrowed his eyes, searching Gavin’s face for anything that might prove him wrong. A snort escaped him as Gavin’s expression remained guarded, not one bit surprised by his behaviour.  
“I'm not about to let you hurt him, Reed. Leave him alone, or live to regret it.” The threat was still lingering in the air as Hank stepped away from him, leaving Gavin to his own thoughts in silence. 

Another two hours passed before they spotted any movement from the building they were watching, neither of them having said a word after their little altercation.  
Hank eventually broke the silence when two figures moved through the gates of the abandoned building, getting to his feet as they both recognized them as the humans from the surveillance tape.  
“Let’s go, Reed.” 

 

\--

 

Gavin followed Hank through the gate, hands tightening on the gun in his hands. The thought of putting a bullet in the head of those Cyberlife fuckers felt more satisfying than he had expected, which came as no surprise to him anymore. Sadly, they needed them alive to prosecute them with crime against androids, as they deserved.  
“Remember, don’t do anything stupid.” Hank commanded low as they rounded the corner of the building, the lieutenant narrowing his eyes in thought. “If you find Connor, call for backup immediately. We don’t know how far these people are willing to go.”  
Gavin only nodded at him, their earlier discussion long forgotten as finding the android was the only thing that mattered. “We’ll get him back in no time, Anderson.” He scoffed, side eyeing the lieutenant for a long moment before slipping past a corner and into the building ahead of Hank. “Have some faith, would you” Gavin grinned, flipping him off as he wandered into the old building. 

For a gang of supposedly genius scientists, they hadn’t exactly picked the most efficient hideout. They had already raided several buildings just like it just a few weeks back, exposing a large underground operation run by ex Cyberlife employees. The sight of finding android civilians tied down and experimented upon until they shut down, was not only enough to freak out Connor, but even several of the humans cops on the scene. Gavin still got goosebumps just by thinking of it, and prayed it wouldn’t be the scene which he would find Connor in. It was concerning how they seemed to have missed this place.

From the sounds of it, Gavin had lost Hank when he moved to explore a badly lit hallway, swearing he had heard movement- somewhere in that direction.  
Gavin let out a quiet breath as he neared an open door, his grip on the gun tightening almost painfully. Quick in, get Connor and then get out. Easy as that. He took a deep breath as he hesitated outside the door, steeling himself before moving into the room gun first. “Detroit Police, don’t move!” Gavin announced his arrival with a sneer, only to find the room empty, a quick glance at the old equipment informing that the room hadn’t been in use since before the android revolution. That was...embarrassing.  
“Fuck.” He swore under his breath, feeling like a massive idiot. It would have been too easy wouldn’t it, to just find Connor like that. “Fuck!” He repeated, this time louder as he kicked at a piece of rubble at his feet. Or what he thought was rubble.  
A muffled groan from his feet made him jump back, a scream forced down before it escaped his mouth. Scrambling for the flashlight in his pocket, he finally managed to point the light at whatever had scared him shitless.  
Gavin’s eyes widened as he stared at the android by his feet, staring up at him with brown eyes filled with desperation.  
“C-Connor?” Gavin breathed as the android stretched his badly damaged arm towards him, a scrambled voice forcing its way past a half detached jaw component. “Run, he’s coming...he’s coming.” The voice faded into a series of static noises, before going completely silent. The red LED at the side of the android’s head flashing angrily at him for a short moment, a shudder running through the detective as the ring went completely dark. Dead.  
Gavin let out a breath as he took a closer look at the now dead android, holding his breath as he needed confirmation. _Don’t let it be him, don’t let it be him. ___

____

Brown eyes. Dark hair. Fuck. 

As he moved to turn the android for better identification, the feeling of relief hit him like a freight train. This guy might have looked slightly like Connor, but Gavin had spent too many hours getting distracted by the RK800’s stupid face not to tell the difference. So maybe his hopeless crush wasn’t so useless after all.  
He got to his feet with a sigh, a frown firmly on his face as he moved out of the room. Had this been a year ago, a dead android wouldn’t have bothered him at all. It would’ve just been just another day at work, another dismantled machine, a broken thing. These few months had only shown him how truly wrong he had been, how much of a fuckin prick he had been not to realize it sooner.  
Desperation, fear, anger, sadness. Those were all feelings he had seen on the dead android’ face, to win your freedom and then have it brutally ripped from you. It was cruel, and so fucking human. Gavin had been disgusted over the human race before, but never because of android mutilation- It was about time he faced the music.  
God, the desperation on that android’s eyes, he couldn’t even imagine what those cyberlife freaks had done to him...What they had possibly done to Connor.

Gavin took a deep breath, moving further down the hall as he couldn’t let himself get distracted. He hadn't heard anything from Hank either, so time was running out for them to find Connor alive, if judging by the android he had found, they didn’t have much time left.  
Gavin froze in his steps as he heard voices from up ahead, raising his gun again to prepare him for whatever he would find in the next room. He bit down on his lower lip nervously, nearing the door to push it slightly open, reminding himself that this was probably the moment he should’ve called for backup. But as he slipped inside, safely hidden by a Cyberlife crate, he noted that he really shouldn’t have any trouble dealing with two scrawny scientists. That thought was abruptly cut off as the scientists moved along to a console out of sight, leaving a rather large mechanical structure for him to see. What caught his eyes, wasn't the machine itself, but the Android currently hooked up to various tubes and cables. 

Connor.

Gavin’s eyes widened at the sight, his heart hammering in his chest. From where he was crouched, he couldn’t tell if Connor was alive or not. He held his breath as one of the Cyberlife scientists walked back in front of Connor, reaching up to slide open the android’s chest plate. Gavin’s eyes immediately snapped to the pump in Connor’s chest, assuming it could be nothing else but the android’s heart being exposed. A chill ran through his body at the thought of what the cyberlife employees might be planning, eyes searching for a way to get to Connor without alerting them. He held back a hiss as Connor’s body lurched forward, brown eyes snapping open in panic, the scientist having disconnected one of the tubes allowing the thirium to flow freely through the android’s body.  
“W-why are you doing this?” Connor forced out, an edge of static to his voice as his eyes searched the room, coming up with no routes of a possible escape.  
Gavin gritted his teeth, taking a deep breath in attempt to keep his cool. Losing his composure now would not only put himself in danger, but possibly forcing the scientists to rip that fucking pump out of Connor’s chest. Which was a risk he was not willing to take. 

“Model RK800 53, 313 248 317 is still showing signs of deviancy. Our procedures have yet not yielded any success. Unless progress is made in the next forty eight hours , we will be forced to deactivate this model.” Gavin watched the scientist speak into a console to Connor’s right, choosing this moment to creep closer. If only he could get to the machine unnoticed, he could easily knock out the cyberlife dogs and bring them in. And judging by the amount of blue blood leaking from Connor’s chest, he had to do something soon. Hell if he would get this close and then leave him for dead. He wouldn’t let that happen. Not to Connor, and not to Anderson. Despite their differences, he didn’t want to cause the old man any more heartache than he’d already gone through. 

Gavin watched Connor’s eyes flutter shut, the flashing of the red LED forcing him into action. He rushed forward with a grunt, gun in hand to knock the man out. A satisfied look crossed his face for a split second as the butt of the gun connected with the back of the scientist’s neck, knocking him out cold.  
Gavin pocketed the gun as he rushed over to the machine Connor was hooked up to, adrenaline rushing through his veins as he needed to get them both out of here. The thought of calling for backup forgotten as he reached out his hand, breath caught in his throat as Connor’s eyes opened again.  
“Connor?” Gavin questioned low, hands hesitating from where they were lingering over the android’s heart. If he didn’t somehow connect that tube, Connor would definitely bleed to death. Or be deactivated. Whatever it was called.

“I got you, you oversized toaster. You’ll be alright.” Gavin grumbled, and if he had to be honest. It was more to reassure himself rather than the barely lucid android. 

“Detective?” Connor croaked, a pained gasp slipping past his lips as Gavin fiddled with the disconnected tube, or what the detective could only assume was the android version of the human aorta.  
A series of curses slipped past Gavin’s lips as he tried attaching the tube, his hands already slick with blue blood. God, he was killing Connor with his shaky hands. Get it together, Reed. 

A feeling of relief rushed through his body as he finally reattached the tube, though his joy was short lived as Connor’s body went limp in the machine’s grip.  
“Connor! Hey, Tin can. Come on!” Gavin called out in a slightly panicked voice, eyes searching the room in an attempt to get the android out of the goddamn machine’s clutches. He desperately tried prying open the claws holding Connor up by his arms, but to no avail. “Fuck, come on. Work with me here.” 

His heart was hammering in his chest as Connor remained silent, taking a step back. Okay, there had to be a switch somewhere. A control panel of some kind.  
Gavin’s eyes went to the screen to his right, having no idea what he was looking at, but it looked familiar somehow. It looked eerily like some of his brother’s early concept ideas for androids, before Elijah had decided that family was less important than those fucking machines.  
But those ideas were old, they were incomplete and Elijah had scrapped them early on. So what were they doing here? 

Gavin snapped out of his thoughts as he heard a sound to his left, jumping a little as he met Connor’s eyes. Right. This wasn’t the time to get distracted.

“How do I get you out of this fucking thing?” He spoke through gritted teeth, making a point out of avoiding the android’s confused gaze.

“I...I am unsure, I have been forced into stasis repeatedly while they have kept me here” Connor spoke quietly, weakly trying to pull his arms away from the tight grip the machine had on him. “I suppose you must ‘Pull the plug’ as they say. Manually disable the machine meant to disassemble deviants such as myself.” Despite the calm manner in which Connor was speaking, Gavin could tell by the slight static to his voice that Connor was scared. Who could blame him?

Gavin stayed silent as he circled the machine, for once wishing he knew a little more about how shit like this worked. He needed to get out of there before the other cyberlife scientist returned, possibly with back up.  
Speaking of…

“Anderson, I got him. We’ll be out soon.” Gavin spoke into his earpiece, only to frown as he received only static in return. Fucking great. No wonder Connor hadn’t been able to contact anyone, the room was blocking all unnecessary signals from leaving the room.  
Connor’s head perked up at the the mention of the lieutenant, a hopeful look having returned to his face. “Hank is here as well?”  
Gavin only nodded, still trying to figure out the most effective way to get him out of there. He moved over to where the scientist was still knocked out, digging through the man’s pockets to find a keycard, or something that could help him out. 

“Bingo. Fuck you, Cyberlife.” Gavin noted with a grin, moving over to slide the card into the slot by the screen to his right. His eyes ran over the commands that now lit up the screen, taking a moment to let the information sink in. What the fuck was just these people up to. Experimentations? Hybrid Androids? Undoing Deviancy?  
Gavin couldn’t even pretend to understand what he was seeing, but he could easily tell it was no good. 

“Okay, this should do it.” He pushed a series of commands into the screen, moving back over to Connor’s limp body with a frown. Gavin watched as the machine lowered Connor back towards the ground, leaping forwards as the android fell forward unable to carry his own weight. 

“What the fuck did they even do to you?” Gavin muttered low as he grabbed a hold of the cable injected into the back of Connor’s neck, grimacing at the sounds leaving the android. “Fuck.” He cursed, hearing the voice of the other cyberlife employee returning. Right now he didn’t care if it hurt, they were running out of time. Gavin ripped the cord out of Connor’s neck, keeping his expression neutral at the pained whimper leaving the android. 

“Let’s get outta here, Tin can.” Gavin said with urgency in his voice, peeking over his shoulder as he voice grew closer. He slipped an arm around Connor to keep him standing, only for the both of them to stumble forward.  
“I am sorry, detective. I ran an internal scan just now, and it would seem they have deactivated my leg functions.” Connor sounded apologetic as he spoke, making Gavin frown as that just didn’t sound right. “It will take me a couple of minutes to reactivate them.”

“Right.” Gavin muttered, frowning in thought. Connor was heavy, sure. But from whatever he had tried to ignore from one of Elijah’s lectures, most androids were made from lightweight metal alloys.

Oh well, here goes nothing.

With a grunt, Gavin hoisted Connor into his arms, moving forward while he gritted his teeth.  
“You really could lose some weight.” He grumbled, not getting the chance to hear Connor’s reply as shouting was heard behind them. “Fuck.”

“Detective, let me down.” Connor demanded, fixing him with a stern gaze. “You will get injured otherwise.” 

“Just shut up and let me help you.” Gavin groaned, ignoring the burning ache in his arms. “I owe you as much, alright.”  
Connor parted his lips to speak, but seemed unable to come up with an appropriate response. Leaving himself to wonder what on earth was happening.

“Let go of the RK800, it belongs to us.” A voice from behind them called out, making Gavin grit his teeth. They had been so close. At the sound of the safety of a gun being undone, Gavin turned to face the scientist with an unimpressed expression crossing his face. Had he not been carrying Connor right now, he would’ve gladly put a bullet between the guy’s eyebrows.

“You would think you guys had watched the news at all the last year, cause I’m pretty sure the only one Connor belongs to is himself.” Gavin scoffed, which was as much as a confession as much as it was a threat.  
Connor blinked as the detective spoke, eyes wide in surprise. To hear Detective Reed defend him as his own being, just as any fellow human- It was beyond anything he had ever expected. A warm feeling spread through his chest at the thought, his thirium pump working a little harder to keep up with the newly acquired revelation. Connor felt..relieved? 

Safe. 

“Connor is more human than any of you freaks.” Connor heard as he had been lowered back onto the ground, eyes not leaving Gavin. He ran another internal scan, his leg functions still only at 38%, still needing to gain another 60% to be able to carry his own weight.  
At this point, he was only dead weight.

“Another misguided soul I see, it must run in your blood. Your brother was just the same.” Gavin finally pulled out his gun at the scientist, his brows furrowing from his words. Was this guy really trying to compare him to Elijah? He was nothing like his brother, it didn’t take a whole lot of brain to see that.  
He gritted his teeth as he took a step forward, heat rising to his face as he could feel the anger bubbling just beneath his skin. Gavin knew this guy was trying to provoke him, but when had he ever backed down from anything. It was how he had gotten his ass handed to him in the archives in the first place.  
It seems Connor had noticed his mistake before Gavin even had a chance to react.

“Detective, watch out!”

Had Gavin not tried to look over his shoulder at the sound of Connor’s voice, he might have seen what was coming. Instead, the sound of a gun going off echoed through the room, but it was not the pain of being shot that made him groan. It felt as if something- or someone had launched themself at him, sending him flying into the Cyberlife crates lining the walls. Gavin hissed angrily as he forced himself back onto his feet, ignoring the searing pain in his side. With a swear, he realized the gun had been knocked out of his hands in the impact, now nowhere to be seen.  
A grin flashed across Gavin’s face as he spotted the the scientist clutch his bloody shoulder, giving himself a mental pat on the back. A few broken ribs were nothing if it had resulted in successfully disarming the suspect, one of them at least.  
Gavin moved to head back towards Connor when he realized just what had hit him moments before. Just a few feet from him, perfectly cutting him off from reaching Connor- An android was standing in his way.  
And not just an ordinary one from the looks of it. 

It was unlike anything Gavin had ever seen. 

Synthetic skin was visible across some of the android’s body, resembling patchwork where it met the white and grey plastic casing. He could see the blue pump in the android’s chest trough clear plastic and wiring, a set of mismatched eyes narrowing as Gavin met the machine’s gaze.  
One brown.  
One blue.

“Run, detective. Please!” Connor called out again, snapping Gavin out of the intense gaze he had been trapped in. His eyes widened as the android took a step closer, now noticing how none of the machine’s components seemed to match. His right arm seemed slightly longer than the left, only remnants of skin being left at his wrist, dents and cuts littering his forearms. It was as the android had desperately been trying to escape while being tied down, and Gavin could only imagine the sorts of torture these people had inflicted on the imprisoned androids. Cyberlife had made this android into something resembling Frankenstein’s monster, forced together by parts that weren’t his, parts that were probably torn from other androids body while they were still alive.  
It made him feel all sorts of uneasy. Guilty.

If what Gavin had overheard Connor say once was right, forcing mismatched limbs onto an android- a deviant, would make them feel indescribable pain. So why did this guy seemed so unbothered?

Just as Gavin was about to slip past the android to get to Connor, his eyes settled on the hybrid’s face, making him hesitate.  
He looked like Connor. That was Connor’s face, but...not?  
Much of his face was obscured by damage, either inflicted by the humans or another android. But even then, there was something familiar that made Gavin look twice.  
He wasn’t given much time to think it over as the android lunged at him, familiar face or not, this guy most likely wanted to kill him. Gavin thanked his quick reflexes as he ducked away, his heart hammering in his chest. Without his gun, he knew better than anyone that if the lookalike resembled Connor in more than one way, he didn’t have a chance in hell of getting any of them out of there. 

“Connor, let’s go.” Gavin moved to grab a hold of Connor again, about to hoist him into his arms again when a pressure around his neck made him lose the grip he had on him. A surprised sound forced it’s way past his lips as he felt cold fingers coil around his throat, making him desperately gasp for air. This wasn’t how it was supposed to go, Gavin Reed wouldn’t simply go down without a fight. 

“Gavin!”

He clawed desperately at the metal as he fought back, fingers coming away bloody as his attempts were nothing but wishful thinking. His eyes were burning as he tried to focus on the android in front of him, the desperation in Connor’s voice being the only thing that grounded him.

“Brother, stop! Let him go!” 

Gavin fell to the floor with a wheeze, a series of coughs racking his body as he tried to force air back into his lungs once again.  
Through the hazy fog that had clouded his mind, one word seemed to repeat itself.

Brother.

Did Connor have a brother? Could androids even have family members? Either way, none of that mattered now. Gavin was here to get Connor home, to safety. Not for possible near death family reunions. 

“I hate to break up your reunion, but me and my buddy here really have to go.” Gavin spoke with a small laugh, his voice still hoarse as he tried to seem unfazed by his own near death experience. He stumbled to his feet again, forcing the grin back on his face as he yet again moved to shield Connor from the brother-giant.

“So if you don’t mind-” He didn’t get to finish his sentence as the hybrid android grabbed a hold of him, lifting him off his feet. Before he could even register what had happened, Gavin found himself back where he had released Connor from the machine. A pained grunt left him as he forced himself to his knees, his shirt feeling sticky and wet from where something had lodged itself into his abdomen.  
Fuck.  
Gavin winced as he tried touching where he could feel a shard of metal having dug itself into his body, figuring he would bleed to death sooner rather than later if he tried pulling it out on his own. So, he better not do any of that right now.  
On the bright side, he had been in worse shape than this. It was nothing he couldn't handle, at least that’s what he hoped. 

“Hey, Tin can!” Gavin called out from where he was leaning on the control panel from earlier, forcing the grin back onto his face. “I wasn’t done talking to you!”  
The android turned towards him with an unamused look on his face, again being distracted from retrieving Connor. 

Good.

Gavin clutched onto a long spear like piece of twisted metal as he moved back towards them, the adrenaline alone keeping him on his feet. Every step felt like a thousand needles underneath his skin, the taste of iron filling his mouth from where his lip had been split open. He was pretty sure that if he could have seen himself right now, he’d look like a maniac. 

Connor looked from the hybrid android, to the twisted metal in Gavin’s hand, not needing to construct any scenarios to know what the detective was planning. The idiot.

“Gavin, run! Please, for once in your life, listen to me!” 

Even as much as Connor hoped Detective Reed would chose that exact moment to have a change of heart, he knew that once he had made up his mind...There was little he could do to change it. Humans and their stupid pride, he would never understand any of it.

Everything seemed to happen in slow motion after that. 

With gritted teeth, Gavin had launched himself at the android in an attempt to buy them more time. Even without being able to call for backup, he knew the gunshot alone would have alerted the Lieutenant. It was only a matter of minutes before Hank would show up, and if Gavin knew him as well as he liked to think he did, the lieutenant would definitely bring backup. 

The piece of metal slipped from Gavin’s hand as the hybrid android’s knuckles connected with his cheekbone, making him stumble to his knees in front of Connor. A sickening crack split the silence as the Connor lookalike forced his foot down on Gavin’s leg, bringing forth such a painful scream that Connor had to force himself to look away. 

“C-Con.”

Connor looked up at the sound of Gavin’s voice, his thirium pump stuttering in his chest. Blood was dripping from the detective’s mouth, but that wasn’t what had caught his attention. It was the look on his face that left Connor speechless, never having seen such an earnest emotion laid before him to see. It was if he had been shown a secret that was only his to keep. 

An apology, as clear as day. Gavin knew what was about to happen, and he felt the need to apologize to Connor for it.  
Connor felt anger surge up inside him, making his thirium run hot through his veins. A wave of different emotions washed over him, making him unable to tell most of them apart. But some were more intense than others, making his eyes water up despite his best attempts at willing them back.

Anger, sadness, despair, and most of all, helplessness. 

Connor forced his legs to move underneath him, scooting backward to grab onto where he had located Gavin’s gun a few moments earlier. His system was sent reeling as he grabbed onto the gun, forgetting all about his own stress levels as he simply needed to save Gavin. He wouldn’t let him sacrifice himself for such a stupid reason, for someone he barely even liked. 

That’s not an apology, Reed. It’s stupid, and absolutely unnecessary.

“If one of us has to die here, I’m glad it wasn’t you, Tincan.” Gavin spoke weakly, arms shaking from where he was trying to keep himself from collapsing on top of Connor, as if he was acting as some sort of shield. He sent the android a weak grin, allowing himself a grimace at the blood dripping from the corner of his mouth, successfully staining not only his favorite jacket but also the android beneath him. 

“Sorry, looks like I ruined your shir-” Gavin smiled weakly, forcing out a hoarse laugh, only to be cut off as he coughed up blood. His eyes were wide as he glanced down at his chest, looking back at Connor with eyes filled with fear. Confusion.

Connor didn’t register he was screaming until his voice box short circuited, splatters of blood mixing in with the tears running down his face. He couldn’t bring himself to look away from the twisted metal that had been shoved through the detective’s upper body, leaving him impaled by his own makeshift weapon.  
Connor forced himself to look away as the other android moved, only seconds later being aware of the gun in his own hand. With Gavin still smiling half heartedly at him, Connor raised the gun and pulled the trigger without hesitation. From the look on the hybrid’s face, it wasn’t an action he had expected. With a bullet well placed between the android’s mismatched eyes, it sunk to its knees, mouth halfway open. Connor heard not as much as he saw the half formed words on the other android’s lips, forcing his eyes shut as his brother would now finally know peace. Shutting down once and for all. 

He might not have known the RK900 for whom he could have been, but it pained him to know his successor had never gotten the chance to know anything but imprisonment and suffering. Had Connor perhaps found him before the ex-Cyberlife employees, he would have freed him, taught him to be free just like himself. Instead he had been used as an experiment and a weapon, hurting humans and androids alike. Connor gave himself a moment to grieve what might have been, before his attention returned to the injured detective still crouched in front of him. 

“Detective, Gavin. Can you hear me?” Connor asked quietly as he sat up, throwing the gun away to scan the detective’s injuries. Artificial breath caught in his throat as he ran the information through his main processor, once, than again a second time- Still receiving the same outcome no matter how many times he tried analyzing it. The timer in the corner of his eyes brought the wetness back into his eyes, not being able to remove it from his interface.

_No. No, no, no, no. Not now, not like this. ___

____

“Please, you can’t do this to me. It’s not fair.” Connor forced words out through his tears, seeing the life slowly fade from the detective’s eyes. Where was Hank? He should have been here, why wasn’t he here?  
Connor moved Gavin into a more comfortable position for them both, knowing there was nothing he could do for him now. He didn’t even notice the tears dripping down on Gavin’s face, making the detective smile. 

____

“So, you do cry, huh?” A small laugh left Gavin as he looked up at Connor, blood again filling his mouth as a series of coughs racked his body.  
Connor didn’t trust his voice box to function in his current state, opting only to nod vigorously instead.  
He didn’t want detective Reed to leave, there was still too many questions left unanswered. Feelings he didn’t understand, a certain warmness in his chest only brought on by Gavin’s presence, which only left him more confused than ever. Connor couldn’t make sense of any of it, he needed to ask him what it meant...He needed to understand. 

____

“Gavin, please. Hold on, just a little while longer” Connor whispered quietly, holding the detective tightly in his grip. At this point he couldn’t have held back his tears even if he tried, it was too much. Too much pain, too many sacrifices. “Hank will be here soon, everything will be alright.” 

____

 

____

A series of noises from another room made Connor perk up, recognising the reassuring sound of boots belonging to the swat operatives. His grip on Gavin tightened as he heard the lieutenants familiar voice shout orders down the hall, not noticing Gavin leaning his head on the android’s shoulder.

____

“Hank!”

____

 

____

Gavin Reed closed his eyes.  
He took one breath  
Two.

____

_Then none. ___

____


End file.
